US markets settle mostly lower on Friday

29 Feb 2020 Evaluate

The US markets ended mostly lower on Friday, though Nasdaq settled the day nearly unchanged, amid intensifying fears over the potential degree of damage the spread of COVID-19 will inflict on the global economy and supply chains. New Zealand and Nigeria are among the countries that have recently confirmed their first coronavirus cases, with the World Health Organization warning that the fast-spreading disease could soon reach most, ‘if not all’ countries around the world. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently said the organization has raised its assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of impact of the coronavirus to ‘very high’. In addition to the confirmed cases in new countries, the number of cases in countries like China, South Korea and Iran countries to rise. However, markets trimmed most of their losses after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank will ‘act as appropriate to support the economy’ amid the evolving risks posed by the coronavirus outbreak.

On the economic data front, the government said consumer spending increased a mild 0.2% last month. Meanwhile, incomes shot up 0.6% - the biggest gain in 11 months - but the increase included annual cost-of-living increases in Social Security benefits as well as tax credits tied to the Affordable Care Act. Separately, a measure of business conditions in the Chicago region improved in February but remained in contraction territory. MNI Indicators said the Chicago PMI business barometer increased to 49.0 in February from 42.9 in January. Any reading below 50 indicates worsening conditions.

Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 357.28 or 1.39 percent points 25,409.36 and S&P 500 declined 24.54 points or 0.82 percent to 2,954.22, while Nasdaq was up by 0.89 points or 0.01 percent to 8,567.37.

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